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Vandersteen speakers set up Newbie needs help Plea

Hi everyone,
I am about to purchase Vandy speakers - probably the 1C. I need help with knowing if what I have will work together. I'd also like to know if the 2CE would work as well. This is for 50% classical music and 50% HDTV/DVD use.
Here is what I have: new Pioneer DVR-Tivo with Hard Drive, new Pioneer Elite receiver 100W VSX-53TX, AR subwoofer-112PS (lists for about 400.00 if you don't know it), Sony 34" wide HDTV - new model used w/ digital cable, AR center channel model 4C, and I also have four old AR speakers 2 - AR2Ax and 2-AR14. I'm using the 14s as front speakers now and 2ax as back. I'll replace the 14s with the new Vandy's. So........... does this seem like it will work? Would there be any benefit to trying to find a used (pre-amp/amp don't know which??) to include with this? The room is about 18' x 20'. What cables should I use? I now have three sets of "Better Cables" components and two good optical cables. I bought the best speaker cable from Radio Shack (but from this forum I gather that won't cut it w/ Vandys). I need to get a new sub-woofer cable 'cause this one is too short. Can you all help with all this? Thanks alot.
maryedw@hotmail.com

04-10-04
maryedw
pbb
1,140 posts
 
Can't see why it would not work. Play around with the speakers to get proper positioning. The worst that can happen is you may perceive a difference between the signatures of the different brand of speakers. I would think the first move would be to get a Vandie centre speaker, and then change the rears to Vandies also. Cable concerns I would not pay that much attention to, although by just saying this the cable believers will crawl out of the woodwork, so to speak. I would go with Kimber 4TC or something like that. You may also consider QED cables. A British make, they do what they are supposed to do and are quite reasonably priced, at least up here in Canada. Take it one step at a time and you will go up that learning curve soon enough. Good luck.
jabenso
18 posts
 
If the 1C will work, of course the 2CE will work much better . . . ;-)

I'm assuming that you are wanting to switch to the Vandys to get better music over the ARs . . .I have an old pair of 2ci that I used for years as my main speakers for music and movies (2ch only). Loved them, they are now in the bedroom, but oooh what the addition of money can do . . but that's another story.

I assume that you have listened to other speakers and liked the Vandys the best.

I agree that your money might be better spent getting a Vandersteen center channel and staying with the 1C (and upgrading to 2CE later--but look for them used, and you might be able to afford them now.) Let's see, you could go ahead with the 1C and center, and then turn them into rears when you could afford to upgrade the fronts. . .

They do like a little power, tho, so I'm a little worried about driving several Vandys with a 100W Pioneer multichannel . . . but then you can upgrade THAT . . .ah fuggedaboutit.

I wouldn't sweat the cables, just use competently built ones with enough wire gauge (not the interconnects that came with your equipment. Ditto the speaker cables. Signal cable has good value in this area.
jdaniel18ee
88 posts
 
I own the Vandy 3a sigs. The 1C's are good, but since you listen to a lot of Classical I would definitely look for the *3-way* 2C
's (in whatever incarnation), used or new--they sound much larger. The Vandy's take a lot of power to run; I'm sure your amp can handle, but you might have a problem getting mixed speaker brands to blend--will one brand be louder at a specific volume than the other? You can adjust volumes individually I hope! My audiophile "pusher" said that cables don't start making a difference until about $400 and up, and no cable will make a difference unless your amp and speakers are capable of the nuance that the cables are supposed to retain in the first place. Definitely go for the 3 ways though. What's another month or two of starving? : )
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